Created for Closeness

One of the most beautiful and intimate themes woven throughout Scripture is God’s desire to be close to His people. In his Tuesday morning seminar, At Arm’s Length, Steve Bietz provided a moving insight into the nearness God shares with His children.

In the beginning, God simply spoke, and creation came to pass. Light appeared, the earth formed, and life flourished at His command because when God speaks, things happen.

But the creation of humanity was different. While Genesis 1 presents the sequence of creation, Genesis 2 reveals something more personal and relational. Instead of merely speaking man into existence, God knelt down in the dust of the earth and formed humanity with His own hands. It was an intimate act, showing that even from the very beginning of time, God desired closeness with His creation.

Human beings often place boundaries between themselves and others. We value personal space and many times find ourselves keeping people at arm’s length. But our Lord does the opposite. Though He is omnipresent and fills all of heaven and earth, He continually draws near to His people. Scripture repeatedly reminds us that He is always with us.

This promise becomes especially meaningful in the book of Revelation. When John wrote that in the new earth there will be “no more sea,” it carried deep personal significance for him. Exiled on the island of Patmos, the sea represented separation from the people and places he loved. The removal of the sea symbolized the removal of all barriers and distance.

Again and again, Revelation repeats the assurance that God will dwell near His people again. Heaven is not simply about golden streets or gates of pearl; it is about perfect closeness with God. From Eden to eternity, the story of Scripture reveals a God who longs to be near His children.

—Natalie Sissac